First State-Record Elk Added to Cy Curtis Awards Program

Participating in a once-in-a-lifetime elk hunt at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in

southwestern Oklahoma was definitely a bucket-list item for Shawnee residents Mark
Thompson and Lance Carter. Both hunters harvested typical elk that scored high enough to be recognized as the first two elk in Oklahoma's Cy Curtis Awards Program.
    Thompson now holds the state record for his elk, which scored 307 6/8. Carter's elk scored 282 1/8.
    Thompson and Carter both live near Dale. "We live about two miles from each other as the crow flies," Carter said. Being from the same small town with children the same age, they got to know each other. Little did they know in 2013 they would share an unforgettable hunt.
    When both hunters realized they were drawn for a bull elk hunt through the Wildlife Department's controlled hunts program, they were shocked. Thompson's hunt was "amazing to say the least." The morning of hunter orientation, the temperature was a chilly 4 degrees with snow on the ground. With no wind and the sun rising, they could see elk on every ridge. Thompson decided then that he would be picky and get just the right bull.
    On the first morning of the hunt, Dec. 2, 2013, five of the hunters in his group tagged out by 10 a.m. Thompson passed up a bull elk early that afternoon, but he "knew the fun wasn't over yet."
    "I wanted to hunt longer. I knew the other guys had all tagged out and that afternoon I would be the only one hunting." After observing some bulls in a deep valley that afternoon, he set up for his shot. About 30 minutes before dark, three bulls came in close enough for a shot. He picked out a bull at 350 yards and harvested his state-record bull elk with a .300 Winchester Magnum.
    When he retrieved his elk, Thompson quartered it and packed it out himself. It took him two trips over a mile each in 20-degree weather with the wind blowing 20 mph. "I took my time so I didn't hurt myself."
   

Thompson took an iPad in the field with him and recorded much of his hunt with video and pictures. "I knew this would be the only time I would be able to have pictures of the whole elk and this was a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. I wanted to remember this."
    The next morning, Carter was part of a different group that was still out hunting. He successfully harvested his bull that morning with a broadside shot at long range. "The terrain is unreal, nothing like you would expect in Oklahoma," Carter said.
    The Wildlife Department established the Cy Curtis Awards Program in 1972 to recognize trophy game hunters in Oklahoma. For 42 years, the program recognized only trophy white-tailed deer and mule deer. But in 2014, the Cy Curtis Awards Program was expanded to include elk, pronghorns and black bears that exceed the minimum qualifying scores. The minimum score to be recognized in the Cy Curtis Awards Program for typical elk is 270. For non-typical elk, the minimum score is 310.
    For more details on the program and how to apply for an award, go to the Cy Curtis page at wildlifedepartment.com.

Best Rifle for Deer Hunting: Experts Offer Advice

Rifle action from Ruger Model 77 Mark II Stainless (.204) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’re looking for the best rifle for deer hunting, there is no single consensus from the experts the perfect gun. But one name that continually surfaces in conversations about firearms for hunting is the Ruger M77 series.
1. In 2013, the Ruger was voted "Best Hunting Rifle" in Field & Stream magazine. 
 Reviewer David E. Petzal wrote: “Here is a dangerous/heavy-game rifle with everything done right. It’s a short-barreled (20 inches), all-stainless, laminated-stock bolt action with the controlled feed of the Model 77. Features include an excellent rubber recoil pad, an adjustable length of pull, first-rate iron sights, and an effective muzzle brake.”
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Michigan Workgroup Presents Recommendations to NRC for Mentored Youth Hunting

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A workgroup comprised of conservation groups and youth hunters presented recommendations for regulations for mentored youth hunting in Michigan to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at a recent meeting.

Earlier this year, Governor Rick Snyder signed two bills into law that eliminated the minimum hunting age in Michigan and directed the NRC to create a new program for mentored youth hunting for children under the age of 10.

Under the statute, the Department of Natural Resources will offer a Mentored Youth Hunting license starting on March 1, 2012. The $7.50 license will be a "package" license that includes small game, spring and fall turkey, two deer tags, a furbearer trapping permit and an all-species fishing license. An adult mentor must be at least 21 years old, have previous hunting experience and possess a valid Michigan hunting license. Another provision of the law allows 10 year-olds to hunt big game on private land with a firearm, which was implemented starting with the 2011 deer season.

The workgroup recommendations for the Mentored Youth Hunting program include:

• No limit on the number of youth a mentor can have with him or her in the field, leaving it at the discretion of the mentor.
• A limit of two hunting devices - bow, crossbow or firearm - per mentor.
• The youth in possession of a hunting device and engaged in the act of hunting must be within arm's length of the mentor.
• The mentor shall ensure that the hunting device is sized appropriately to fit the physical abilities of the youth to ensure safe and responsible handling.
• The mentor will be held responsible for the youth's actions.
• The issued deer tags under the Mentored Youth Hunting license can be used for either sex (antlered or antlerless), are not subject to antler point restriction regulations in certain parts of the state and can only be used on private land, consistent with current state law.
• A voluntary Mentor Guide program will be developed by the DNR to educate and inform mentors of their responsibilities.

The NRC has directed the DNR to come forward with a Wildlife Conservation Order to create the regulations for Mentored Youth Hunting at the Jan. 12 meeting in Lansing. The order would be eligible for an NRC vote at the Feb. 9 meeting in Dearborn. Public comment on the proposed regulations can be made at the January or February meeting. Written comments can be sent to the NRC's executive assistant Deb Whipple at whippled1@michigan.gov or via U.S. mail to Natural Resources Commission, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, MI 48909.

For more information on the NRC, including agendas and past meeting minutes, go to www.michigan.gov/nrc.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go towww.michigan.gov/dnr.

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New firearm rules take effect on opening day of gun deer hunt

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MADISON -- New legislation signed Friday by Gov. Scott Walker modifies state law concerning the manner in which long-barreled firearms, bows and crossbows can be transported in motor vehicles or placed in or on stationary vehicles.

The new law will be published in time to take effect Nov. 19, opening day of the traditional, nine-day, 2011 gun deer season.

In its essence, the new law can be boiled down to a single statement, said Tim Lawhern, DNR division of enforcement and science administrator.

“Unless otherwise prohibited, you can carry a long gun, uncased and unloaded, in or on a motor vehicle in Wisconsin at any time,” Lawhern said. The DNR has prepared a frequently asked questions on Wis. Act 51 page that available on the law enforcement pages of the DNR website.

While the law has changed, Lawhern said, there will still be many people who will continue to use a carrying case to transport unloaded firearms in motor vehicles, as hunters have been and will continue to be advised in hunter education courses.

“It’s a great way to protect your investment in your firearms,” Lawhern said.

As is always the case with a new law, Lawhern said, the first year is an educational opportunity.

DNR chief warden Randy Stark has already provided the state’s warden force with detailed instructions on the new law and its enforcement. Wardens will use a mix of enforcement, communication and education to help hunters understand and comply with the new law, Lawhern said.

“We are always ready to help people in the field, to answer their questions and to provide advice,” Lawhern said.

Here are a few things hunters might need to know about the new law:

• A caveat to the uncased long gun rule – the new legislation does not change Wisconsin law regulating the practice of shining (illuminating) wild animals at night with artificial light. It will still be illegal to possess a firearm of any kind, loaded or unloaded, while shining wild animals.
• The new law allows individuals to hunt from a stationary non-motorized vehicle, such as a hay wagon, so long as it is not attached to a motor vehicle. Previously, hunting from any vehicle was prohibited, without the distinction of whether the vehicle was motorized or stationary. This change previously had been sought by warden administrators. “People used to have to take one or more wheels off the hay wagon to comply with the letter of the law,” Lawhern said.
• It will be legal to possess and transport uncased bows and crossbows in a vehicle. However, bows may not have an arrow nocked. A crossbow may not be cocked unless it is unloaded (meaning the bolt or arrow is removed) and cased.
• When in or on a vehicle which is stationary, long guns can be both uncased and loaded. A stationary vehicle can have the motor running. “Stationary” means not moving, regardless of whether the motor is running. This allows a hunter, at a stationary vehicle, to place a loaded gun on a clean, dry surface.

Wisconsin hunters, as a group, are among the best trained and safest hunters in the world, said Lawhern. This is thanks in large part to the legions of volunteer hunter safety instructors who donate their time each year to educate new hunters.

“Our hunters have established an enviable safety record,” Lawhern said. “We fully expect the vast majority of hunters in Wisconsin will continue to use common sense and safe practices when handling firearms. For most of us, these practices have become second nature.”

Here are the four basic rules of gun safety, as taught in hunter education:

• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
• Be certain of your target and what’s beyond.
• Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern, DNR enforcement and science division administrator, (608) 264-6133

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